When cleaning out a storage space in our Macedon store, we found an old buffet that had been neglected and was in desperate need of refinishing!
Previously it had just been used for storage, in the sense that things were stored in the drawers, forgotten about, and never seen again…we all have pieces like that.
The first thing we did to this piece was clean it with Mineral Spirits, then we gave it a fresh water rinse (as you should before painting any piece).
With the holidays approaching, we were feeling festive, so we began painting the piece with Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan in the color Emperor’s Silk – a bright, fun red, reminiscent of holly berries used for Christmas decorating!
The whole piece got 2 coats of Emperor’s Silk – everywhere except the top, that is. The top of the piece was left unpainted and would eventually be stained with General Finishes Gel Stain in the color Java.
GEL STAIN:
Unlike the CHALK PAINT, the stains require a bit of prep-work (other than just cleaning). In order to achieve a finish that is true to the intended color on the quart, you have to sand the piece down to raw wood (we love using Annie Sloan’s reusable Sanding Pads for this). If you stain right over the existing finish, the color will be altered.
When applying the gel stain, you brush the stain on liberally (I like to use a foam brush) and then wipe of the excess with any kind of lint free rag…Scott’s Shop Towels work great! On this piece we chose to do the entire surface at once, rather than breaking it up into sections since it isn’t an overwhelmingly large piece.
Meanwhile, the rest of the piece that was painted was sealed in Clear Wax, then we added Dark Wax to give the Emperor’s Silk a nice, rich tone.
Sometimes using Dark Wax can be intimidating, so if you’re feeling apprehensive, read our post that gives some tips and tricks for using Dark Wax HERE.
So what do you think of our festive transformation?
Come visit one of our TWO locations:
EAST SIDE OF ROCHESTER (Our MAIN store!)
77 West Main Street in Macedon, NY 14502
OPEN Mon – Wed 10– 4, Thurs 11–7, Fri 10 –5 & Sat 10-4.…CLOSED SUNDAY
OR
WEST SIDE OF ROCHESTER
3200 West Ridge Road in Rochester, NY 14626 (The Shops On West Ridge)
OPEN Thurs – Sunday 11–6 ……CLOSED MON, TUES, WEDNESDAY
Sophia said it was a lot of work but she had so much fun doing this project and the reaction on her nieces faces was priceless!
rinse. In this case- you may want to shopvac out the drawer cavities also.
